GEORGIA MISSION COMPLETE

Last night I couldn't talk to Jeff through Skype because there was no electricity where he was (message via sms). And today no response to my sms so probably his phone is dead. He did manage to send me a note last night to let you all know that the total number seen for this mission was 307 people. Of that number 77 prayed to receive Christ. Were that many saved? God knows the answer to that, but Jeff is just doing what we was assigned. Witness to everyone he could. Praise God for the harvest.

Today the team will tour a bit and everyone will leave for home tomorrow. Please pray for their safe travel. They are now back in Tblisi, the capital. And I thank you for your faithfulness in holding them up before the throne. Jeff says he can feel those prayers.

UPDATE ON GEORGIA

I was only able to speak to Jeff for a few minutes last night. It was late and he's very sick (prayers, please). They saw 75 folks yesterday and 10 prayed a prayer of repentance. Please continue your prayers for today being the last day of mission. Then for Friday please pray for their safe return to respective homes. Thanks, you are a blessing to me. Leave a comment below and let me know you are there. Coleen

BAPTIST MEDICAL MISSION INTERNATIONAL IN GEORGIA

This week my husband Jeff is in the country of Georgia along with a medical team of four from America. Saturday was their first mission day and he was able to speak to 16 people about Christ. Praise God for his work in their hearts as 10 of them prayed to receive Christ. Please keep the team in your prayers this week and all those whom they will come in contact. Pray for God's working this week.

Today Sunday they will be worshipping with the Georgians.

MEDICAL MISSION IN MOLDOVA

In May, after only a few days home from the states, Jeff left for a 10 day medical mission in Moldova. He flew in to the capital of Romania from where they drove across into southern Moldova to work with the Gagauz people. This is what Wikipedia says about them: The Gagauz people are Turkic ethnic group living mostly in southern Moldova (Gagauzia), southwestern Ukraine (Budjak), south-eastern Romania (Dobrogea)[8] and northeastern Bulgaria. Unlike most other Turkic peoples, the Gagauz are predominantly Orthodox Christians. There is a related ethnic group also called Gagavuz (or Gajal) living in the European part of northwestern Turkey.

Jeff found that the people were very hungry to know God and about fifty people prayed to receive Christ. He came home overflowing with joy and emotion over the many tears and sweet faces of those who came to know Him. He also helped translate for several and therefore Robbie Caldwell and others shared their hearts and led people to Christ as well. It was a joyous time.


Igor receiving patients for medical attention.



Vera and Janice working with patients, giving out glasses.



Haylee Bazil with Moldovan children.


Jeff Franks and Robbie Caldwell share the gospel message with a Moldovian lady.


Lastly, but most importantly, our fearless BMMI leader Dr. Ralph Izard. He heads up all the medical missions to many various countries each year. Pray for him and his health and safety please.

BMMI Team in Ukraine

Please pray for the Baptist Medical Mission International as they minister medicine and the gospel message in Ukraine this week and through Monday. They are working in the town of Babyntsi and other surrounding villages that are located northwest of Kiev. The first day, yesterday, they worked in a hospital in the morning and at the House of Prayer in Babyntsi for the afternoon. Today they were in Babyntsi in the morning and the village of Budababyntsi this afternoon and evening. They will continue with clinic Friday, Saturday and again on Monday. Tuesday we will show them some of the sites of Kiev. Please pray.

Summer Activities

This shall prove to be our busiest summer yet. It is exciting the things that are going to happen. In June Jeff will travel with a Volunteer Student Mission (VSM) team to western Ukraine to do camp. In July will be a team doing a basketball camp in Russia. From there Jeff goes to Georgia for a medical mission. Then he comes home to another VSM team doing two camps 'til the end of the month. In August we will have the Jaime Jorge evangelism tour. Jaime is a violinist, "superb," who toured western Ukraine last year. Lastly in August Jeff will travel to Armenia to work with our friends from the underground churches of a no-access country. Your prayers for all of this would be greatly coveted.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works. Ps 145:8-9

Testimony of God's Grace

On Monday Jeff and the team went to look for tickets. They all got tickets via Europe, but Jeff and went to lunch. Afterward, Jeff went to find a ticket to Ukraine. This was on the 11th and they told him there was nothing available until the 19th. Which would have meant sitting around paying for a hotel room for eight days. But God in his mercy sent someone in just as Jeff was there to return a ticket. That reduced his wait time to only two days. He will fly in tonight at 11:15. Thank you for your prayers. Our God is great.

Yerevan, Armenia

Jeff just called (it is almost 10:30 pm here) and they have all arrived safely in Yerevan. His phone battery died on the road. They will stay until Monday to rearrange tickets. Thank you for your prayers. Only God in heaven knows how your petitions may have protected them.

The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace. Num 6:24-26

Gori, Georgia

I have not heard from Jeff since about noon today (here in Ukraine we are 8 hours difference from Central Standard Time in the U.S. and Jeff is one hour later than us so I'm writing this at 10 p.m in the evening here). I can only assume he doesn't have signal where he is. He mentioned a lot of infrastructure was breaking down due to the bombing and there was no internet or land phone lines. We have been doing sms messages and occasionally we could get through on calling, but have not been able to do that since early today. I am so grateful for those of you who are praying. I hope to hear something soon.

Overnight, the town of Gori, where our team started out, was bombed and 60 people died. Sadly one of the bombs hit an apartment complex. Pray for Gori and it's people. We have brothers and sisters there.

As for Leah and I, we trust in the One who holds it all in His Hands. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him." Rom 15:13 (NIV)

Georgia Declares War Against Russia Today

This morning I spoke to Jeff as they were on their way to Tbilisi, the capital to see about flights out. On the European news it already said there were no European flights leaving Tbilisi except to Ukraine and Turkey. Therefore they have rented a van to drive them to Yerevan, Armenia where they can fly from. In the meantime, Georgia's parliment this morning declared war against Russia. The town of Gori (Stalin's birthplace) where the team was yesterday suffered bombing overnight and is now the front as it is close to South Ossetia (S.O.). The South Ossetian Republic is in the north of Georgia bordering Russia on it's north side. Gori is just south of the S.O. border. S.O. is a breakaway republic wanting their independence from Georgia because they are strongly Russian, yet they have always been part of Georgia.

This afternoon Jeff informed me that they have hired a van driver to take them to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia and closest place they could fly from. He said there are a lot of rumors about which roads are open and which bridges have been bombed. Russia is now bombing strategic spots around the country. According to BBC, government officials are evacuating Tbilisi. Pray for the team's safety as they travel.

On the Verge of War in Georgia

Jeff and the BMMI medical team left the conflict zone today. Tomorrow they will get up early and drive three hours to Tblisi, the capital to see if they can get flights. They are for certain sending out the women tomorrow, but possibly they might all be leaving if they can get flights. If they cannot get flights they will take a bus to Yerevan, Armenia and fly from there.

European News has reported 1400 deaths overnight in South Ossetia which is a breakaway Georgian republic where many Russian people live. Russia has claimed the perpetrators will not go unpunished. The Georgian president has ordered full mobilization but they are a small force against Russia. This certainly is a time for prayer.

They have no internet and much communication is down, but because Jeff bought a local Georgian phone chip we can call each other. Tonight they are without water where they are and it is very hot. Please pray that they will make wise decisions and that they will be safe.

South Ossettia/Georgia Conflict

While I wanted to continue showing you camp pictures, I must take a break and ask you to pray for my husband Jeff and the Baptist Medical Missions International (BMMI) team who are all in the country of Georgia. This morning as they were preparing for their first day of seeing patients in the town of Gori (Stalin's birthplace), they heard a loud explosion. No one knew what this was about, but it had the whole town scurrying about. Later, at home in Ukraine, I heard on Russian news that a bomb had been dropped by a Russian plane on the stadium in Gori. Needless to say, the mission has moved out of this area to another part of Georgia. Please pray for resolution of this conflict and for the team's safety. Pray also that the Lord might use Jeff in resolving some conflict amongst the Baptist brothers of that country. May the Lord bless as you seek him.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 1 John 5:14-15